The Stats: Study Shows People Pay More For A Garage They Can Trust

1st February 2019

When it comes to finding a garage you can rely on, many vehicle owners get the best that they can afford. After all, taking care of your vehicle is a long term investment and can save costly repairs in the long run. One 2018 survey showed that a whopping 37% of vehicle owners are happy to pay over the odds for an accredited garage, rather than look for cheaper alternatives.

In addition to nearly 40% happily paying more for a reliable garage, the poll of 17,000 motorists also discovered that nearly a quarter of drivers would go out of their way to go to a garage that has been accredited. The same survey investigated motorists’ experiences with garages, and found that 7% had been overcharged for garage services, while another 7% said that they had received additional, unexpected charges in the past. In addition, 5% have had to pay for work that they felt was unnecessary, or which they hadn’t asked for.

Despite general concerns over their garage services and costs, only one in ten motorists shops around for the best deals from garages, with most sticking with the one that they know, even if they feel that they have been overcharged in the past.

People’s reasons for failing to shop around, or for not querying bills that seem too high, range from lack of confidence to point out unnecessary work, to lack of knowledge about how much a service, MOT or repair should cost, and simply not knowing how, or where, to look for alternative garages.

The fact is, accredited garages are not always better value for money and don’t necessarily offer a better-quality service than their independent counterparts; when people use accredited garages, they are often paying for the branding and the associated peace of mind. Trust A Garage is on hand to help you to find a garage that has been checked out by us and rated by fellow customers, so that you can get a good idea of whether or not they offer reliable, trustworthy garage services.

To put it simply: Trust A Trader will help you to find local garages that offer the best service quality, value for money and the peace of mind that you get when you use an accredited garage, without having to pay the price tag of manufacturer-approved garage services. So, don’t pay more for a garage you can trust: find a garage near you in our independent, easy to use directory, for fantastic service and complete peace of mind.